4 myths about Drug Addiction

MYTH 1: Overcoming addiction is simply a matter of willpower. You can stop using drugs if you really want to. Prolonged exposure to drugs alters the brains in ways that result in powerful cravings and a compulsion to use. These brain changes make it extremely difficult to quit by sheer force of will.

MYTH 2: Addicts have to hit rock bottom before they can get better. Recovery can begin at any point in the addiction process - the earlier, the better. The longer drug abuse continues, the stronger the addiction becomes and the harder it is to treat. Don't wait to intervene until the addict has lost it all.

MYTH 3: You can't force someone into treatment; they have to want help. Treatment doesn't have to be voluntary to be successful. People who are pressured into treatment by their family, employer or the legal system are just as likely to benefit as those who choose to enter treatment on their own. As they sober up and their thinking clears, many formerly resistant addicts decide they want to change.

MYTH 4: Treatment didn't work before, so there's no point trying again; some cases are hopeless. Recovery from drug addiction is a long process that often involves setbacks. Relapse doesn't mean that treatment has failed or that you're a lost cause. Rather, it's a signal to get back on track either by going back to treatment or adjusting the treatment approach.

The importance of interventions

Have you heard these words many times before? "Today I'll stop. I promise." "This is my last drink." "I don't have a problem." "I'm in control of it." "I know what I 'm doing." "Leave me alone I'm fine!"

Drink by drink, your loved one is slipping away...but you have the power to bring them back before it's too late! Many people suffering from alcoholism are convinced they have the power to stop...if they want to. And they persuade you to think the same. But unfortunately, not only are they harboring delusional thoughts regarding their capabilities, if they do actually attempt self-detoxification, it can have severe consequences: seizure, heart failure and death.

Professional alcohol intervention is not a luxury. You may view your loved one as a person who just can't control their drinking habit. But in reality, they are a loaded gun, ready to go off at any point in time. Alcoholics commit drunk driving and commit suicide. Alcoholics can kill people: family members, friends and themselves. Professional alcohol intervention is necessary to delicately raise awareness in the mind of the alcoholic that he or she has a problem, one that is too overwhelming for them to control, and that they need to accept medical help.

Many family members attempt to perform alcohol interventions themselves, but without the key knowledge and proper approach, they do more harm than good. These well-intentioned meetings often result in violence and irreparable damage to the chances of ever helping their loved ones to recover. A professional alcohol intervention is always implemented in a loving, caring, and non-judgmental manner, gently coaxing the alcoholic along the path towards acknowledgment of the problem and agreement to rehabilitation.